No breakthrough in Judiciary strike mediation

Malawians seeking justice will have to wait longer after the first efforts to resolve the ongoing Judiciary support staff failed to make a breakthrough yesterday.

Representatives of the Judiciary support staff and the office of the Attorney General (AG) made no progress during their meeting with the conciliator, private practice lawyer Modecai Msisha, senior counsel (SC), a development that saw the proceedings adjourned to Friday this week.

In the meantime, the staff have vowed to continue their sit-in, which started last week Monday to push government to address their grievances, including housing allowance as is the case with judicial officers, notably judges and magistrates.

In an interview yesterday, president of the Judiciasry support staff union Charles Lizigeni, who led a six-member delegation to the meeting, said the issue of housing allowance in the Judiciary was discussed at length during the meeting that started at 9am and ended at midday.

However, he expressed optimism that the talks will offer a lasting solution to the recurring issues relating to the Judiciary support staff welfare.

Said Lizigeni: “In any discussion you expect good results and we as members of staff are expecting fruitful results from the conciliation talks. However, the talks will be proceeding while our members continue with the strike and will only stop once we reach a consensus.”

Lizigeni added that Msisha adjourned the meeting to Friday because the AG’s office, represented by senior State advocate Apoche Itimu, who is also spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, did not have some documents in their possession.

AG Charles Mhango, in an interview later, said he was yet to be briefed. Efforts to get hold of Itimu proved futile as her phone was out of network reach.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) honorary secretary Michael Goba Chipeta yesterday described the negotiations as a “good and positive step”.

He said the society would wait for the outcome of the conciliation before deciding on how to intervene in the issue that has paralysed the country’s justice delivery system since July 31, affecting an average of 1 000 cases daily in the country’s court system.

The striking Judiciary support staff, who include court clerks, court marshals, drivers, interpreters, court reporters as well as those working in the administration and human resource department, went on a nationwide strike on July 31 to force government to commit to resolve their grievances, including housing allowances as is the case with judicial officers, namely magistrates and judges.

But Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe last week told The Nation that government made a mistake in paying housing allowances to judges and magistrates as they are supposed to be on the clean wage. n